Many Thai people believe that every house should have its own spirit house providing for the well-being of the locality spirit. These may be anywhere in the garden (even; in big cities; on the roof); with the important proviso that the shadow of human habitation should never fall on the spirit house; the home of the original and true owner of the land - the chao thii.

Naturally; this belief extends to shops and commerce as well. Scarcely a business in Thailand - from corner shop to multinational - is without at least one; and often two spirit houses. The first of these; raised on a pillar or in some high place; is purely Thai in origin. The second; generally to be found on the ground and decorated with Chinese characters and images of Confucian or Taoist sages; is purely Chinese and represents the pre-eminent position of Thai-Chinese in the world of commerce. Pictures From Asia David Henley